


Let's Talk About It

by cpdtrash



Category: Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, wholesome content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:20:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26605879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cpdtrash/pseuds/cpdtrash
Summary: Hailey is struggling to process a difficult loss, and Jay is there to comfort her. One-shot loosely inspired by a scene from Bones 6x22.
Relationships: Jay Halstead/Hailey Upton
Comments: 5
Kudos: 36





	Let's Talk About It

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you Twitter for giving me this idea.  
> That is all.

Hailey was still in a state of shock. She had come home from New York only to find her roommate and coworker Vanessa dead in their home, apparently killed by an unknown assailant. As such, the house was an active crime scene. Hailey had originally intended to stay in a hotel for the next few nights while the murder was being investigated, but her partner Jay insisted she come stay with him. Neither had any idea what happened to Vanessa. Because Intelligence were all too close to the case, it had been assigned to Robbery-Homicide, Hailey’s old unit. However, they were being tight-lipped other than telling Intelligence they should all stay vigilant just in case the attack had anything to do with any of their prior cases or contacts.

“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep the blinds closed tonight,” Jay told Hailey, “and stay away from the windows. Who knows what kind of danger we might be in.”

“Right,” Hailey replied, “better safe than sorry.” She adjusted the pillows on the couch as Jay closed the blinds.

“You know what, you can have my bed. You deserve to be comfortable after everything you’ve been through today. I’ll sleep on the couch tonight,” Jay said while moving back towards the couch.

“No, no, it’s fine. I’m a guest here, and I’m a lot smaller than you so it’s easier for me to sleep on the couch.”

“Alright, if you say so. Let me know if you need anything at all, even if it’s in the middle of the night. I’m here for you.”

“Thanks, Jay.” Hailey smiled and reached into her bag to grab her pajamas. “I really appreciate you doing this for me. You didn’t have to do any of it.”

“No, Hailey, I’m doing this because I-” Jay paused for a moment, afraid something else would slip out prematurely, “I care about you a lot, and I want to make sure you’re safe.”

Hailey’s smile grew wider before she disappeared into the bathroom to get changed.

* * *

Hailey was lying awake on the couch, the only light in Jay’s living room coming from a digital clock that read “2:12 AM.” Despite feeling tired, she hadn’t been able to fall asleep for the last four hours. Her mind switched between mourning Vanessa and feeling afraid about her own life potentially being in danger. She felt her blood boiling and she stared wide-eyed at the ceiling. Breathing heavily, she got up and began pacing around the living room, tip-toeing so as not to wake Jay.

She continued pacing for about five minutes, frantic thoughts still racing through her mind. At one point, she accidentally ran into a metal vase, causing it to make a loud clattering sound. Hailey hissed at her stubbed toe as Jay emerged from the bedroom, gun in hand.

“It’s just me!” Hailey gasped, throwing her hands up and looking at Jay in shock. Jay lowered his gun and raced back into his bedroom to put it away before returning to Hailey, flipping the lights on along the way.

“Hailey, is everything okay?”

“I’m scared,” Hailey managed to get out before bursting into tears.

“Come here,” Jay said, reaching his arms out to Hailey. She cautiously walked towards him and buried her face in his chest.

Jay hated seeing Hailey like this and wished he could make everything better. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, rubbing her back.

Hailey tried to get something out, but she couldn’t stop crying.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Don’t feel like you have to say anything,” Jay reassured her.

They stood still like that for several minutes, Jay letting Hailey take all the time she needed to compose herself without judgment on his part.

“It’s so hard to lose someone,” Hailey finally managed to get out. “I know this is a dangerous job, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less.”

“I know it is, and you have every right to feel sad, angry, or any other emotion you’re feeling right now.”

“I don’t even know what I feel. Do I even feel anything?” Hailey burst into tears again.

“Shh. There’s nothing wrong with that right now. Just know that you’re safe here with me,” Jay said as he gently rocked her from side to side.

Hailey pulled away from him slightly and looked up at him. “Thank you.”

Not wanting to leave Hailey alone, he guided her towards the couch. “Why don’t I get you a glass of water? I’ll sit out here with you, and we can talk about it or not. Whatever you feel comfortable with.”

Hailey forced out a small smile and nodded. A part of her didn’t want Jay to have to see her like this, but she knew deep down that he would be there for her no matter what. She gently sat down on the couch, tilting her head back and closing her eyes.

Jay returned a minute later with two glasses of water. He handed one to Hailey and sat down on the couch next to her with the other one in his hand.

“Thanks,” Hailey said as she accepted the glass of water. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me tonight.”

“You’re grieving. It’s normal to be upset after you’ve lost someone close to you.” Jay took a sip of his water.

Hailey stared at the floor and sighed. “Vanessa was like the sister I never had. We’d stay up all night watching trashy TV, telling stupid stories, and talking through tough things that happened at work. I thought I’d be returning to that when I got back from New York, but all of it was gone in a heartbeat. When I saw her dead, it hurt me to know she’d suffered and met her end in such a gruesome way.”

Jay didn’t really know how to respond, so he was silent for a few moments before replying. “I saw how much she meant to all of us, but especially to you. This isn’t going to be easy, but whatever you need, I’ll be here to help you with.”

“I appreciate it,” Hailey said, giving him a smile. “Can we talk about something else? I’d like to get my mind off things, even if just for a little while.”

“Like what?” Jay tilted his head slightly.

“Hmm… tell me a funny story.”

For the next half hour, they sat on the couch telling stories, among them the time when Will was in third grade and he thought it would be funny to drink hand sanitizer, a bizarre prank some kids in Lake Forest pulled on one of Hailey’s brothers soon after they moved, and the strange nicknames Jay and his military buddies gave each other. While they were both getting tired, neither wanted the conversation to end, nor the closeness they felt with each other.

“Jay?”

“Yeah?”

“Forgive me if this is too much, but… can you stay with me tonight?”

Jay’s heart started racing. While the current circumstances weren’t the greatest, he secretly liked the physical contact with Hailey. Plus, it made him feel good to be there for her.

“Absolutely. I don’t think the couch is big enough for both of us to lie down comfortably, so are you okay with staying in my bed?”

Hailey nodded, and Jay stood up and led her to his bedroom. Hailey slowly entered and Jay closed the door behind them. Carefully, they each got into the bed and slid under the covers.

“Jay… is it okay if you hold me?”

“Of course.” He wrapped his strong arms around her and pulled her in close.

In that moment, they started to feel some semblance of true relief. After everything that had gone wrong over the past twenty-four hours, something finally felt right. To both of them, it felt natural to be in this position, yet they hadn’t gotten around to admitting it for fear of it not being the right time or place to address their true feelings.

Five or ten minutes passed, at which point Jay was beginning to fall asleep. Feeling a spark of confidence, Hailey shifted slightly, bringing him out of his drowsy trance.

“Jay, can I tell you something?”

As soon as those words slipped out of her mouth, Hailey felt afraid she was making a big mistake. Jay had a feeling he knew what was coming next as Hailey moved up the bed to make eye contact with him.

“What is it?” he asked with a hopeful smirk, the same one he used when he tried to figure out what Hailey was about to tell him when his phone rang in the hospital.

The look on Jay’s face helped Hailey regain her confidence. “When you were in the hospital…”

 _Oh shit, here it comes,_ Jay thought excitedly.

“…I was really afraid I was going to lose you, and I couldn’t understand why I was taking the situation so hard. In fact, I didn’t leave the hospital at all until after you woke up and I knew you were going to be safe. While I was waiting, Vanessa said something that led me to realize the answer: I’m in love with you.”

A grin spread across Jay’s face. “I was hoping you’d say that. You’ve been there for me when no one else was, and when you left for New York I realized that I couldn’t bear the thought of you leaving me and never coming back, and that the feelings I had for you were so strong I needed to do something. I love you, and I need you by my side, Hailey. I don’t ever want to let you go.”

With that, their lips met for the first time, tentatively at first, then growing needier with every passing second. When they finally broke apart, they were both breathing heavily.

“I’m tired. Continue in the morning?” Hailey asked.

“Absolutely.”

Hailey snuggled back into Jay’s chest, where she always knew she belonged, as they drifted off into sleep.

* * *

The morning sun poked through the blinds in Jay’s room, causing Hailey’s eyes to slowly flutter open. She grinned as she remembered the events of the previous night that led her to her current situation. In that moment, everything felt perfect. Despite lingering grief and sadness at Vanessa’s death, the path ahead seemed much clearer. Anything she had to go through from here on out, she would go through with Jay by her side.

She didn’t want to move because she felt comfortable in Jay’s arms and didn’t want to wake him, so she stayed put, eyes half-closed and reveling in the sensation. Perhaps fifteen minutes later, Jay woke up on his own. Perfectly content that Hailey was finally his, he gently kissed the top of her forehead, at which she tilted her head up to look at him.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he said, softly smiling.

“Good morning to you too,” Hailey replied.

“So…”

“I think we had something going last night, but we were both too tired so we decided to save it for the morning…” Hailey gave Jay a smirk and raised her eyebrows, then moved upward so that their noses were touching.

“Hmm, what was it?” Jay asked, then brought Hailey in for another kiss, resuming exactly where they’d left off the night before. After a few minutes, they broke apart, gasping for air.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do that,” Jay told Hailey, before they continued what they started, something sweet, passionate, and a long time in the making.


End file.
